Pedestrians would be given priority in Melbourne’s CBD, with the council considering drastic changes including increasing the time pedestrians have to cross at junctions, cutting the speed limit to 30kmh, reducing on-street parking and making fewer streets open to two-way traffic.

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The proposals were included in a series of discussion papers released on Thursday by the City of Melbourne as it works to produce a ‘‘refreshed’’ transport strategy to set targets to 2050.

Speaking at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Mr Andrews said the government had ‘‘no plans to make those sorts of changes,’’ adding that the best way to get cars out of the city was to continue improving Melbourne’s public transport infrastructure.

The opposition have also said they don’t think the proposal is a good idea, with Mr Guy saying: ‘‘I don’t think it’s a radical plan, it’s a ridiculous plan.’’

Ms Capp admitted that plans were provocative and welcomed politicians’ feedback at a press conference on Thursday morning, but insisted the changes could inject an additional $2 billion into CBD businesses.

‘‘I think it’s great that the Premier and the Opposition Leader have both got involved in the debate today and really look forward to continuing those discussions going forward,’’ Cr Capp said.

‘‘The rate of population growth in Melbourne at the moment means that we need to be making plans today about how our city will look and how it will work by 2030.

‘‘I don’t think we will ever get to a point where we will have no cars in the CBD and I say that because we always have to have access for emergency service vehicles, vehicles helping disabled access our city, for tradespeople and deliveries.’’

Lord mayor Sally Capp.Credit:Jason South

The lord mayor said that removing on-street parking would give more space for pedestrians and cyclists to get around the city.

‘‘This isn’t about saying that there will be no cars, the space that is of particular interest to us is the space where cars are stationary ... can we use that space better?’’

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The Australian Retailers Association’s executive director Russell Zimmerman said while it was important to improve pedestrian access to the city, ‘‘any talk around taking away street parking could negatively impact retail footfall and sales’’.

‘‘Street parking and accessibility are extremely important to retail as consumers who buy bulk purchases need an easy and accessible way to transport it.

‘‘If consumers are unable to park near a retail store they may be less likely to buy big, bulky or large purchases.’’

With the number of people travelling into the city each day set to rise from 911,000 to 1.4 million by 2036, the council says the city’s transport system is at a ‘‘critical juncture’’, and have asked Melburnians for their feedback on transport issues.

‘‘We face a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make bold decisions,’’ the council said.

In one discussion paper, the council suggests working towards a ‘‘pedestrian-priority CBD’’ where delays at traffic lights for pedestrians were minimised across the municipality.

A study in central Auckland found pedestrian delays at one intersection cost the economy $NZ2.2 million a year.

The study results were used to test an ‘‘optimised signal phasing’’, which showed the wait time for pedestrians could be reduced by 26 per cent.

‘‘Increasing the level of walking connectivity by 10 per cent would increase the value of the Hoddle Grid economy by $2.1 billion per annum,’’ the council's paper reads.

‘‘At Spencer/Collins the pedestrian wait time could be reduced by 38 seconds. This would cut pedestrian crowding in the evening peak in half and people are less likely to cross against the lights.’’

Other pedestrian-friendly initiatives include reducing vehicle access in public places as a protective security measure against car attacks, more car-free public spaces, and removing traffic lanes and widening the footpath around busy stations such as Southern Cross and Flinders Street.

The council has vowed to increase pedestrian safety after it found the City of Melbourne had the most pedestrian crashes of any municipality in Victoria, with six deaths and 234 serious injuries over the past five years.

One measure suggested includes setting the speed limit in the Hoddle Grid at 30km/h.

The strategy would also try to dissuade drivers from entering the CBD at all, with some plans involving creating single lane streets, and limiting right and left turns.